Video: Commuting to Work? Turn on That AC

S. Himmelstein

11 August 2017

Most people are familiar with the challenges encountered when commuting to work: traffic congestion, accident risk, the growing problem of road rage. Commuting can also be hazardous to your health in terms of road vehicle-generated air pollution.

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., sought to determine when and where this risk is highest, and if driving habits can mitigate pollutant exposures. They each used portable instruments and sensors to monitor and simultaneously measure pollutant levels of their car's indoor cabin air and the air directly outside of the car during their own daily commutes.

During the four-month monitoring period, dashcam was used to identify a given pollutant concentration each Pollutant exposures were measured for different ventilation parameters. (Source: Washington University in St. Louis)time they were: stuck behind a bus or truck, amid traffic on a freeway, stopped at a red light, or driving past restaurants or construction work. Different ventilation settings inside the cars were also tested, including driving with the windows open, with the windows closed, with the fan on, and with the air conditioning (AC) on.

Car drivers can expect highest particulate matter and carbon monoxide exposures when driving with windows open or the fan on. The lowest exposures are realized with windows closed or the AC on. Using the AC reduced in-vehicle pollutants by 20-34 percent.

The AC is pulling outside air, running through the same filter with the same ventilation path as the fan. However, when the AC is operating, the cold surface of the evaporator attracts pollutants and pulls them out of the air stream.

Additional proof of the pollution control prowess of automotive cooling systems: no in-cabin carbon dioxide concentrations were measured during 75 percent of the journeys made with the AC on.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT AUTOMOTIVE PAINT TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS

When selecting automotive paint there are two distinct choices to make. The first choice to consider is the color scheme. There is a range of pigments including metallic, pearlescent and traditional pigments as well as metallic flake, candy coats and color changing “chameleon” colors. To achieve the desired finish you should be aware of the pigment and its limitations and advantages.

The second choice is the resin system. Traditional car show-quality coating systems were based on lacquer, which is now outlawed in some areas. Urethane and enamel resins are now most common and achieve a durable finish that is more suitable for most automotive applications.

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